Lapses in 'signalling circuit alteration' caused Odishar train accident, reveals report released for 1st time

The Ministry of Railways finally disclosed the findings from the Commissioner of Railway Safety's report, stating that a signal error caused the devastating triple train accident in Balasore, Odisha, last June. The incident resulted in over 293 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries, making it one of India's worst rail disasters in the past two decades. The report, disclosed in response to questions raised by MP Dr John Brittas in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, pointed to lapses in signalling-circuit-alteration at North Signal Goomty station and during the execution of signalling work for the replacement of the Electric Lifting Barrier.

Also read: Odisha train tragedy: 3 Railways officials arrested; charged with culpable homicide & destruction of evidence

Releasing details of the report for the first time, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "The rear-collision was due to the lapses in the signalling-circuit-alteration carried out at the North Signal Goomty (of the station) in the past, and during the execution of the signalling work related to replacement of Electric Lifting Barrier for level crossing gate no. 94 at the Station."

These errors led to a green signal being displayed for the wrong line, resulting in the train collision with a stationary goods train. The Minister acknowledged that these issues reveal "glaring lapses and negligence" on the part of railway authorities. Additionally, the government revealed that 41 passengers from the accident are still unidentified.

Though Dr. John Brittas MP requested details on similar signal failures in the past three years, the government only mentioned that there had been failures but none as serious as the one in Balasore.

Following the accident, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested three Indian Railways employees, Arun Kumar Mahanta, Mohammed Amir Khan and Pappu Kumar, who were charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and destruction of evidence. The accused are currently in judicial custody after their Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) remand period ended on July 15. The next hearing is set for July 27.

The CRS report brought to light a prior incident at Bankranayabaz station in the Kharagpur Division, where wrong wiring and cable fault caused a similar incident on May 16, 2022. The report suggested that corrective measures after this incident could have prevented the tragedy in Balasore.

Also read: Odisha train tragedy: One month later, Railways' report points to 'human error'

Congress reacted to the CRS report, alleging that the Narendra Modi government had compromised on railway safety and that this "human error" exposed the failure of management and political leadership.

In response to the tragic incident, Archana Joshi, the General Manager of South Eastern Railway, was removed from her post, and Anil Kumar Mishra was appointed as her successor.

The tragic accident involved three trains: the Kolkata-Chennai Coromandel Express, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, and a goods train. The investigation and efforts to improve railway safety continue in the aftermath of the devastating incident.